


Hearts Warm and Bright

by Jormus



Category: 3Below (Cartoon), Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Sweaters, TOA secret Santa 2019, bonus art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21991612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jormus/pseuds/Jormus
Summary: Krel goes to a Christmas party at Toby's house and gets a special gift.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	Hearts Warm and Bright

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PurpleRose244](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleRose244/gifts).



Krel knocked on the Domzalskis’ front door with some sense of trepidation. He wasn’t sure what to make of the humans’ different little “holly-day” traditions but… the festivities _were_ part of his friends’ cultures so he was determined to at least _try_ to enjoy them. That aside, he’d never really had a chance to be properly part of a festival without his status as a royal affecting it. It might be fun.

The door opened and a blast of warm, sweet smelling air hit him. Steve grinned widely from the other side of the doorframe.

“ ‘Bout time you got here! We were starting to think you’d gotten lost in one of your nerdy science things.”

“They are not ‘nerdy’,” Krel grumbled.

“Yeah, _sure_ … Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Did you bring anything for the party?”

“The Blanks made some cookies?” Krel offered. “I hope it will appease the Santa Claus?”

Lucy and Ricky called out cheery greeting behind him.

Steve snorted and looped an arm around his shoulder.

“Get in here buttsnack.”

Krel shoved half-heartedly at the appendage wrapped around his shoulder, with only two hands at the moment Steve had the advantage.

Inside the house was decked out in lights and plant pieces. A large tree was standing upright in the middle of the living room. It was of the non-leafy variety that Krel thought he had heard the humans call “pines”.

The Coach Lawrence and Steve’s mom were already there talking to Nana and Toby. They turned to look in his direction as the cold air from outside reached them.

Toby’s face split into a wide grin.

“DJ Kreb is in the house!” He hollered and made his way over.

“Of course,” Krel said waving back. “The house is definitely preferred with how cold it is outside.”

He didn’t know how humans had lasted so long with their heat requirements. He looked over Toby curiously noting that he was wearing different garments than usual.

“What is that?” He asked pointing at the odd thick shirt Toby was wearing with his own name on it.

Toby blushed slightly.

“Nana makes Christmas sweaters for the family… and Dr. L and Jim,” He explained smoothing down.

“Oh!” Krel said. He thought for a moment and then did ‘fingerguns’. “Crispy.”

Toby groaned. “Not you too.” He grabbed Krel’s hand. “Come on! We’ve got presents to unwrap and cookies to eat and then I am beating you at whatever game Uncle Fin sent me this year.”

“Unlikely, but you have my interest.”

Krel followed him over to the couch, releasing this transduction on the way over. It was much more comfortable to have all four arms.

Once they got there they were all handed wrapped boxes containing presents and got to work. Krel thought it was a little odd to go to all the work to make the packaging look pretty only to destroy it, but he could appreciate the fun of the surprise.

From Steve he got a remote controlled car, from Toby an assortment of human sweets, from the Coach a set of weights (unnecessary with his new ship/house’s training deck but he appreciated the thought), and from Barbara Lake an adventure book. The winged troll, Strickler, gave him an odd piece of technology he didn’t recognize.

“I’m told you enjoy solving puzzles of the technological sort,” He said with a wink and gave no farther explanation.

After that there were sweets and games, contrary to Toby’s boasts, Krel managed to beat him twice at the new video game before the short human won a round.

Krel’s cheeks almost were hurting from smiling by the time Nana pulled him to the side.

“Can I help you with something?” he asked.

Nana gave a little chuckle at that and patted him on the shoulder.

“You’re such a dear,” She said and then handed him a box. “I have one more gift for you.”

Krel eyed it curiously. The wrapping paper was white with the little red and white mint candy hooks on it. After a moment of hesitation he started to tear it off. Inside was a brown box and inside that was something made out of cloth. The texture resembled the garment Toby was wearing.

“It’s a ‘sweater’, right?” He asked hesitantly as he unfolded it.

“Yes, dear.”

He pulled out the blue-black material to get a better look at it and stilled. It had four arms. Not only that but on the front of it, above a little depiction of a tree, was his name in both English and Akiridian.

There was no way it came from a store. Krel opened and closed his mouth a few times before getting words out.

“You made this? For me?”

Nana smiled and nodded.

“But Toby said you only make these for family,” He protested even as his hands tightened protectively on it.

“I do, but there’s far more to family than just who you’re related to,” Nana said with a wave of her hand.

Toby had drifted away from the others while they were talking to stand next to her. He shifted from foot to foot and wrung his hands.

“I um…” Toby hesitated. “I told her about what happened to your parents and I know what that’s like. Well not exactly! But I lost mine when I was little and… Well with you on Earth and us being friends I thought that maybe…”

He broke off flushing and looking uncharacteristically awkward.

“What Toby-pie is trying to say,” Nana said, mercifully choosing to finish the explanation for him. “Is that you have a home with us as well.”

“I…” Krel didn’t know what to say.

He stared down at the sweater in his hands and felt wetness swell in his eyes. It was a funny trait that came with constant use of transductions, a very _human_ trait. He swallowed and hugged the gift close to him.

“I’d like that.”

Toby whooped and hugged him. Krel let out a startled laugh and returned it. A moment later he felt Nana’s arms wrap around both of them. This was nice, he thought.

He had a second to relax into the embrace before Steve’s loud voice broke through his warm haze.

“Group hug!” The blond oaf hollered.

“Hey!” Toby whined as he was squished between them.

Krel tried to glare at him, but couldn’t quite manage it. He might grumble and get annoyed sometimes but loved his dumb humans.

Eventually they all pulled apart to return to their various revelries of choice. Krel took the moment of opportunity to slip his sweater on. It fit perfectly. He ran his fingers over it reverently as he savored the warm feeling in his chest.

It was strange…

He had wanted to make his mark during his time on Earth (And he had in both big ways and small ones) but somehow, despite destroying and asteroid and defeating a tyrant-turned-god, it was the friends that he had made he was most proud of. He knew he wouldn’t be here forever, he was still King and one day he would have to return to Akiridian-5 to rule, but he couldn’t help but think that this odd little town on a planet he had once complained of as a “boring mudball” would always be home to him.


End file.
